Rolling mill guide



Nov. 25, 1941. J M, OMALLEY ROLLING MILL GUIDE Filed Jan. 8, 1940 1N VEN TOR JOSEPH M. OMALLEY 426: 0 4%,

ATTORNEY I o 5 4 a M. 2 Z 4 a l f Z 6 f ullu i. "/4 /A/ ////V/// 4 m ill Ag F %w 5 5 U Q m m 5 m m w F 3 F .l a Q 5 a m 2 z /L| w m m 5 Z 4 z i Patented Nov. 25, 1941 ROLLING MILL GUIDE Joseph M. OMalley, Worcester, Mass., assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 8, 1940, Serial No. 312,856

3 Claims.

This invention relates to rolling mill guides,

' and more particularly to entrance guides of the type having means for opening and closing the same. 7

In certain rolling operations it is necessary to grasp the front end of a hot metal bar by means of a pair of tongs, as it issues from one stand of rolls, and insert this-front end in a succeeding roll stand. This may be difficult to accomplish if the entrance guide fits the bar tightly, and yet a tight guide is desirable in order to maintain the proper control of the bar. For this reason it has been proposed to utilize two complementary guide blocks, one of which is fixed and the other of which is movable laterally, the movable block being held against the bar by a manually actuated wedge or screw. With this construction it is possible to loosen the movable block until the front end of the bar has been inserted between the rolls, and then to tighten the block sothat it will fit closely against the bar. With such guides, however, the opening movement is unsymmetrical so that the bar in entering the mill must rub against the stationary guide block. This adds to the difiiculty of inserting the bar. Moreover, the guide will not open of its own accord, even after the wedge or screw is loosened, and the bar itself is depended upon to force the movable block to one side. There is serious danger of bending or upsetting a hot bar during this procedure.

It is accordingly one object of the invention to provide a rolling mill guide which will open in a symmetrical manner with respect to a plane extending through the pass line of the mill.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a guide which will be self-opening upon manual release of the actuating mechanism.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a guide which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and thoroughly dependable in op- 40 eration.

With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

Referring to the drawing illustrating one embodiment of the invention and in which like reference numerals indicate like parts,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a rolling mill entrance guide, shown in section on the line ll of Fig. 4;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, the guide being in its closed position;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing the guide in its open position;

Fig. 4 is an elevation taken in the direction of the arrow 4 in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a pair of spaced upright housings l0, and two horizontal rolls ll, these parts being of the usual construction employed in the rolling of metal bars. A horizontal rest bar l2 extends between the housings at the front or entrance side of the rolls. On this rest bar there is mounted a guide box [4 Within which two complementary guide blocks I 5 are located. The blocks 15 are formed on their adjacent faces with grooves l6 suit-ably shaped to fit the cross-section of the bar which is to pass therethrough. Flanges l8 are provided on the front ends of the guide blocks, these flanges engaging the front of'the box M to prevent the blocks from moving in the direction of stock travel.

The guide blocks l5 rest on the bottom of the box l4, and the center of gravity of each block is located outside the supported area of the block, so that the blocks tend to tip laterally away from one another by reason of their own weight. This is brought about by cutting away the lower outside corners of the blocks, as indicated at I9, in such a manner that only a comparatively narrow area of each block is in contact with the bottom of the guide box, this area being located close to the vertical plane which extends through the pass line of the rolling mill. Two wedges 20 are provided on opposite sides of the blocks I5 so that they may be forced together to afford the desired close fit against the bar after the front end thereof has been gripped by the rolls II. The wedges 20 are vertically slidable in grooves 22 formed in the upright side walls of the guide box It. As shown particularly in Fig. 2, when the guide is closed, the outer surfaces of the guide blocks l5 are inclined at the same angle as the inner surfaces of the wedges 20, so that the blocks will be firmly supported by the wedges against the lateral pressure of the stock.

Means is provided to move the wedges 20 up and down in the grooves 22. For this purpose each wedge is provided with a lug 24 on its upper end, these lugs being located on opposite sides of the rear end of a lever 25 and connected thereto by a pin 25. The lever 25 is fulcrumed on a pin 28 which is supported in a pair of spaced ears 29 projecting upwardly from the guide box I 4. Two adjustable screws 30 and 3| extend through the lever 25 respectively in the rear of and in front of the fulcrum pin, in position to engage the guide box and thus limit the movement of the lever in each direction. The front end of the lever is connected by means of upright links 33 to a short arm 34 which projects rearwardly from a hub 35. This hub is keyed to a transverse horizontal shaft 31 which is rotatably supported in two bearings 38 mounted on the front of the housings Ii]. An arm or handle 39 is secured to one end of the shaft 31 and projects forwardly therefrom in a position for convenient manual operation. It will be noted that the weight of the handle 39 tends to lift the front end of the lever 25 and thus lower the Wedges 20* and force the guide blocks l5 together. Y

The operation of the invention will now be apparent from the above disclosure: Wl1"en the claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A rolling mill guide comprising two complementary guide blocks adapted to engage a bar of stock on opposite sides as it travels longitudinally along the substantially horizontal pass line of a rolling mill, means supporting the blocks from beneath the same, the center of gravity of each block being located outside the supported area of the block so that the block's tend to tip laterally away from one another by reason of their own weight, and adjustable means to urge bothblocks toward the pass line.

front end of the bar is to be inserted in the'mill,

the operator will lift the handle 39; thus turning the shaft 31 and raising boththe wedges i-fl simultaneously. The guide blocks I5 will thereupon tip outwardly by their own weight-as shown in Fig. 3, and the bar can be readily shoved through the guide. As so'dnas the bar has been gripped by the rolls H, the operator will lower the handle 39, which will move the wedges;

downwardly and force the guide blocks [5 together, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the bar will be properly supported and guided. The extent of closing of the guide may be regulated by adjustment of the screw 30, whereas the extent ofopening may be regulatedby adjustment of the screw 3!. Since both the guide blocksmove away fromthe pass line, when the wedges are raised, the bar can be inserted in the roll grooves free from any tendency toward lateral crowding guide blocks require; replacement they canbe easily withdrawn from the front of the guid e box. The construction is simple, inexpensive and dependable. V

Having thus described my invention, what I 2. n rolling mill guide comprising two complen' en ar y gu de blocks adapted to engage a bar of jstocl ronoppositefsides as it travels longitudinally mentary guide blocks adaptedto engage a barof stock on opposite sides as; it travels longitudinally along the, substantially horizontal pass line ofa rolling; mill, means supportingthe blocks from beneath the same, thecenter of gravity of each block being located outside the supported area ,of the block so that the blocks tend to tip laterally aw-ay from one another by reason of their own weight, two wedges having opposed inner surfaces which engage-the outersurfaces ofthe re spective blocks to. limit their outward tipping,

the said inner surfaces; of the wedges" sloping downwardly and outwardly, andmeansto adjust both wedges simultaneously inavertical direction.

JGSEPH M; OMALLEY. 

